Sunday, September 6, 2009

Are PR Nutrition Bars Good or Bad for You?

By Matthew Gelder

Are protein nutrition bars good for you or bad? Like most things in life, the answer is - it depends. Not all protein bars are made equal. But if you're looking for a quality snack, a quality protein bar might just be what you're looking for. In this article we'll look at what makes good protein bars good and bad protein bars bad.

What makes a protein bar good or bad? From a nutritional point of view balance is very important. Today, most energy bars are made mainly form carbohydrates, that is - sugars. That is their main source of fuel and that is, of course, not good.

A good energy bar will not depend mostly on sugars. It will have a balanced ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. What ratio is best is still a subject of debate. Many say that 40% of carbohydrates, 30% of proteins, and 30% of fats is optimal.

What about health properties? Protein bars are usually designed to help you increase lean body mass, so the first thing you should look for is the proper ratio of nutrients. A quality PR bars will not contain any trans fats and will contain vitamins, minerals and other healthy and beneficial supplements.

Taste is obviously also an important factor when buying PR bars. But taste is pretty hard to measure and everyone has its own preferences. Today, most brands of protein bars offer quite rich diversity of flavors - chocolate, lemon, mint, strawberry, coffee, and so on.

Price is also an important factor, because protein bars tend to get eaten pretty fast. For me, more that 2 dollars a bar is too expensive. But remember, if they come too cheap, they are probably not very good. I always choose a good brand with a reasonable price.

Protein bars are a great choice when looking for a snack or a quick meal on the go. Convenient, tasty, and healthy. But choose wisely.

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